Swachh Bharat - Redefining Citizen Role

Thanks to all your feedback. It has become clear over the last 9 months that for Swachh Bharat to become a reality, 3 areas need immediate action:

1) Civic Sense Awareness Creation and Action 2) Empowerment and Upgrade of Municipal Bodies 3) Build out and sustainment of new toilets to end open defecation.

While cleanliness drives of citizens set a good example for the community, the role played by citizens/community has got to be a sustainable one. It has to be one of providing local leadership to the mission, creating awareness about the gaps and working with the municipality.

One of the sample ideas we had shared was: Bin Management: Many times we find that public area dustbins are overflowing or at times though the bin has space still garbage is thrown outside the bin.

Solution: Citizens can form teams to time study the bin pattern, the user behaviour and develop process/solutions that can be implemented working with the local municipal cleaning staff. This will not only result in public behavioural change but will directly impact cleanliness level in their own markets/colony.

Others proposed by you were: 1. Garbage pickup: People are reluctant to walk to the society bin to throw their daily household garbage. As a result, they just wrap the garbage in a polybag and just throw it in a corner  Solution: Arrangements should be made for collection of daily garbage/waste from household by sucking the packets from door-side as seen in many advanced countries. People could just put the garbage bags outside their door steps every morning 2. Municipal garbage collection system: Municipal workers do not show up to pick garbage multiple times a week  Solution: Private companies should be allowed to set up garbage management business and collect garbage from households. This will create a healthy competition and the quality of work will increase. Each household should compulsorily have their garbage collected, otherwise they should get fined 3. Dustbins in public areas: These dustbins tend to get filthy and smelly and hence people do not want to come close to them. They throw garbage toward it which results in heaps around the dustbin  Solution: the small area surrounding the dustbins should be beautified. Areas with large foot fall should be identified and teams should be formed to clean the dustbins and the area around it 3 to 4 times a day 4. Waste segregation: People throw dry and wet waste together  Solution: RWAs should take a lead on this and educate the residents about segregation of dry and wet waste. People should install two different coloured bins in their houses to separate the waste at source. Two separate trucks should go door to door every day to collect dry and wet waste

We need more such ideas and then we will pick 2-3 that can be coordinated at national level by the Swachh Bharat Mission Directorate and coordinated locally between the municipality and the city local circle for Swachh Bharat.

If my memory is correct about thirty years back there was a subject in school level as civics which was teaching on civic sense. now who thinks about civics and civic sense. It should be taught from the school age so that some results are expected. more

There is huge gap in perception of our PM and those of State Govts., especially Govt. of U.P.. It is job of Govt. to arrange for collection and disposal of garbage. State Govts. must allocate adequate funds and accountability on Govt. Employees. Also, time has come to make littering punishable through hefty fine. Nobody has got a right to pollute atmosphere. more

There should be designated place nearby as I have seen in USA, where residents carry their home wastage and garbage in plastic bags kept inside bins every morning and sometimes in evening. The municipal vehicles collects these bags at regular intervals to their designated places. Small bins outside will not help much as garbage will be much larger and they will be overflowing and persons responsible for carrying them may even will not come timely as they are not under much control of their officers and are involved in few other private work during their official timing. more

Create a business model that is sustainable. Local urchins and sweepers need to be tasked with collection of paper, plastic and glass for a payment by owners of plants created to recycle collections. encourageusage of recycled goods. Govt/ local bodies to provide incentives/ subsidies to make the process viable. In return you get cleanliness, employment and greener environment! S Bala S more